Rail fastener



-Jqly 11,1944. M. L MYER u RAIL FASTENER Filed June 21, 1941 Patented July 1l, 1944l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A aan. FAs'rENslt' l Moses L. iMyer, University City, Mo. Application June 21, 1941, Serial No. 399,129

3 Claims. (Cl. 23S-,349)

This invention relates to a rail fastener or clip for securing a railway railto a tie plate.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a fastener of economical construction, so arranged that the fastener may be readily inserted, tightened and removed, and which will be generally eiiicientkin service.

Another object of the invention is to provide a resilient fastener arranged in such a manner as to dampen the rail wave and thusreduce the tendency to loosen spikes which hold the plate or rail in position on the ties.

A'further object of the invention is to provide a fastener which will also act as a rail anchor to prevent or reduce the tendency of rail creeping.

A further object is to provide such a rail fastener which can be used with a standard tie plate, which can be held in engagement in the usual spike hole of such a plate without the necessity of providing or preparing a hole in the tie.

Other objects of the invention are inherentin the device, and may be apparent from the following detail description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a plan view with the ball of the rail removed, better to display the novel features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2, Fig. 1;`

Fig. 3 is a side view of the fastener;

Fig. 4 is an end view; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View.

A clip or fastener, shown separately in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, isadapted to be secured to a tie plate I plate, with a. leg engaging the upper surface of the base of a rail-3.

The fastener is shown in connection with a tie plate I and a conventional rail 3. The tie plate has a rail seat I defined by upstanding shoulders 5. The tie plate, as specifically shown, has two spike holes 2 adjacent the seat 4 and four spike holes 6 through the apronl of the tie plate and a substantial .distance from the rail seat. A conventional tie plate usually has four holes such as 2 adjacent the seat. In conventional practice, spikes are driven through some of these holes and those which are driven through the holes 2 have their heads engaging the top of the rail Iby being inserted in a usual spike hole 2 in the base, thus holding the rail in position. With the present practice spikes are driven through the holes 6 only. I

The rail fastener embodying the present in- .vention is constructed of a single piece of strip spring material with two legs, an upper leg 1 which engages the top of the rail base and a 55 of this invention.

lower leg s which engages in a hole z or the 51ste.

These legsl 1 and 8 are angularly disposed with.

between theqlegs and the arc of the hump are not critical andfmay be changed dependingupon the punching of the plate.

The lower leg l, at least, of the fastener co'm-v 4 prises two plies of the strip integr-auswand-resil-V iently connected and odset from each other. That is to say, an outer ply'IIl and an inner ply I I are onset from each other, and the outer edges are serrated as shown at I2 and Il. The arrangement is such that when the leg 8 is inserted or driven in the hole, the serrated edges I2 and I3 will engage opposite walls ofthe hole 2,-thus holding the clip or fastener in position, while the upper leg 1 engages the base of the rail.

The rail clip preferably is constructed as specically shown. wherein it consists throughout of a single piece of folded strip of substantially uniform width, folded upon itself with the loop of the fold at the end of the upper leg l. The

fold is made in such a manner that the two plies I2 and I3. That is to say. by squeezing together the offset plies in the leg' the clip may be re-f moved easily from the assembly.

The hump 9 in the form as shown, or its equivalent, is provided for a dual purpose. that of giving a satisfactory surface for driving the clip into positionand for tightening it, and it also provides a spring structure which is effective in dampening the rail wave. Asshown in Fig. 3, the two plies may lie close together along the leg l, whereas 'in normal conditions they may be separated slightly along the leg lr From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the invention accomplishes its objects. Various changes may be made in the details of construction. within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit .The ansularity.

I vclaim:

l. A rail clip consisting of a single piece of folded strip spring material, the composite clip thus consisting of two plies of such material having an upper and a lower leg angularly disposed with relation to each other, the end of the upper leg terminating in a loop of the strip material with the free ends of the strip at the end of the lower leg, the folds of the material at the lower leg being offset from each other each fold having an edge extending beyond the adjacent edge of the other and at least one having saw-tooth serrations, such edges being substantially parallel, whereby the serrated edges will engage opposite walls of a hole in a relatively thick portion of a tie plate in which the lower leg is placed while the upper leg engages the upper surface of the base of a rail with a number of serrations en gaging the side of the hole and without the end of thelower leg extending substantially below the bottom of thezplate. A,

2. A rail clip consisting of a single piece of iolded'strip spring material of substantially uniform width throughout, the compositey clip thus consisting of two plies of such material, having an upperl and a lower leg angularly disposed with relation to each other, the end of the upper legother and having saw-tooth serrations, such edges being substantially parallel, whereby the serrated edges will engage opposite walls of a relatively thick portion of a hole in a tie plate in which the lower leg is placed while the upper leg engages the upper surface of the base of a rail with a number of serratlons engaging theu side of the hole and without the end of the lower leg extending substantially below the bottom of the plate.

3. A rail clip consisting of a single piece of folded spring material to provide a clip of two Aplies of spring material lying adjacent each other,

upper portion may bear` against the base of a rail when the free ends are inserted whereby a number of serrations will engage the side of vthe hole and without the'end of the plies extending substantially below the bottom 'of the plate in the hole in the tie plate. Y

4 MOSES L. MYER. 

